Waymo taps Toyota to supply robotaxis for Japan and the U.K.

Waymo will start testing autonomous Toyota bZ4X vehicles in Japan next year, part of a wider partnership that will supply electric vehicles for its robotaxi operations in international markets including the U.K. Toyota will build the 2027 bZ4X and install Waymo's self-driving system at its Takaoka factory in Japan, the companies said Friday. In North America, the vehicle is now sold as the BZ.

The initial testing will take place in Japan, where Waymo aims to eventually run a robotaxi service. The companies also intend to deploy the vehicles in other right-hand-drive countries such as the U.K. Waymo has spent months testing its autonomous Jaguar I-Pace vehicles in London and plans to launch a robotaxi service there once it secures the required permits.

Friday's announcement follows a preliminary agreement the two companies signed 18 months ago to explore development and deployment of an autonomous vehicle platform. That earlier deal was loosely defined, with wording broad enough to leave ample room for interpretation. The new arrangement is more concrete.

As it stands, the partnership resembles a conventional vehicle-supplier deal that addresses Waymo's regional needs and adds a model to its robotaxi lineup. The companies said they will also keep examining ways to bring Waymo's autonomous technology to Toyota vehicles owned by individual drivers, an effort that would extend the relationship beyond ride-hailing.

Toyota and Waymo additionally plan to study future initiatives that draw on insights from Waymo's real-world operations to improve safety for other road users. The companies did not specify what form those efforts would take. Hiroki Nakajima, executive vice president of Toyota and a board member, said the collaboration would help scale the technology and deliver it to customers in Japan and beyond through Waymo's ride-hailing service, while Toyota separately looks at how connecting vehicles with traffic infrastructure can make roads safer.

For U.S. readers, the deal does not change Waymo's domestic robotaxi fleet, which uses other vehicle models; the Toyota-built vehicles are aimed at Japan, the U.K. and other right-hand-drive markets. The North American naming of the vehicle as the BZ is the only U.S.-market detail the companies disclosed.

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